Over HOPE International’s 25-year history, God has done more than we could ask or imagine. Initially, the focus was on one community in Ukraine, without any expectation that it would grow into a global organization. It’s been an incredible story. As we marveled over this several months ago, one of HOPE’s supporters directly challenged me: “There’s a lot of good happening. Just make sure you don’t mess this up!”
No pressure!
I have literally lost sleep pondering and praying over this challenge—and wondering how organizations lose their way. What are the hidden dangers that accompany growth? And what are the antidotes?
Here are three factors that contribute to undermining our organizations and small steps we can take to avoid losing our way:
1. Ingratitude
I remember with crystal clarity the moment in college when the words of Luke 12:48 hit me. I grew up hearing, “When someone has been given much, much will be required in return” (NLT), but I had never before considered myself one of these people who had been given so much. In a college chapel, I was suddenly overwhelmed with just how much I’d been given in terms of family, experiences, and opportunities. All a gift. I never want to forget this moment. I never want to falsely believe that I deserve or have earned what I have been given. Personally and organizationally, ingratitude and entitlement are upstream from a host of other challenges. If we ever believe that our organizations’ impact is solely the result of our hard work or our plans—or that past success guarantees future success—then we have veered toward a dangerous inward focus.
Antidote: Gratitude
At the risk of stating the obvious, the antidote to ingratitude is gratitude. What would it look like to spend the rest of our lives remembering the gifts we have been given and, in response, living with our hands wide open to God and others? What would it look like to regularly and routinely make time to express gratitude? It’s a small thing, but every year all staff are involved in writing handwritten notes to all supporters of HOPE International. It’s a physical way of trying to practice organizational gratitude. We also want to be an organization that regularly prays corporately, anchoring our prayers in thanksgiving. Collectively, we want to be a team that is grateful and willing to work hard at gratitude.
2. Risk aversion
HOPE’s founding story is one of wild, audacious faith. As Jeff Rutt faithfully responded to God’s call, there was little to suggest that this venture would be successful. The risks were seemingly too great, and advisors, lawyers, and economic development practitioners bombarded Jeff with stories of why microenterprise development in the late 1990s wouldn’t work. But Jeff’s willingness to take the risk gave him a front-row seat to God’s work within and through HOPE.
Especially in times of uncertainty, I have felt the instinct to play it safe. To preserve cash. To avoid new risks. To mute ambitious plans. I’m thankful for the systems, auditors, and internal controls we now have in place, but I hope we never stop taking risks.
Antidote: Dreaming beyond
Ephesians 3:20 reminds us that we serve a God capable “to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think” (NLT). As He calls us onward in service, I pray that our faith would always be greater than our fear of an uncertain future. We want to be wise, but we do not want to slowly allow our focus to bend inward. So we dream and plan to reach new frontiers, launch new programs, and innovate with new ideas, knowing that this increases our risk AND our potential impact.
3. Stakeholder gap
I began my career in microfinance in very hands-on roles. In Cambodia, I validated passbooks at community bank meetings. In Rwanda, I had the privilege of regularly going out and learning from the families we served. We’ve worked hard to ensure there are no ivory towers at HOPE—but we do have air-conditioned offices. I climb out of a comfortable bed each morning, and hot water spills effortlessly from the faucets in my home. Many of those we serve do not experience these luxuries, and some are struggling just to believe that there’s hope in the midst of wave after wave of challenge and turmoil. I want to keep the realities of the families we serve at the forefront of my mind. I don’t want the gap and distance to contribute to forgetfulness of the reality of so many working to escape poverty.
Antidote: Proximity and listening
I’m grateful for the team that focuses on listening, monitoring, and evaluation. Our strategy and programs are shaped by the men and women we serve. We’ve learned from them about the demand for new products related to housing and agriculture—and we’re launching them. We’ve heard that they valued not only the savings but also the community that occurred within savings groups, and during the pandemic, we worked with groups to creatively maintain those connections, even when there was little money to save. In a few months’ time, I will travel to Rwanda again, and I can’t wait to visit community bank meetings, sit with savings group members, and engage with the local staff who serve so faithfully. I can’t wait to put faces and names to the numbers I more often see. And most of all, I can’t wait to worship and do my best to clap alongside my brothers and sisters in Christ.
As organizations grow, let’s lean into gratitude, keep dreaming beyond, and grow in our ability to listen and respond to those we serve. What else do you do to avoid the hidden dangers of growth?
